Internal fitting for containers



A ril 14, 1942. w. WALSH ,4

' INTERNAL FITTING FOR CONTAINERS Original Filed April 11, 1938 Patented Apr. 14, 1942 i ii stats Divided and this application January 5, 1939, Serial No. 249,500. In Great Britain May 7, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention is concerned with an internal fitting for hollow containers, which expression is intended to include, where used in this specification and in the appended claims, containers such as jars, bottles, cans, boxes, show-cases, and the like. This application is a division of my application Serial No. 201396, filed April 11, 1938.

It is an object of my present invention to provide means whereby a container can be divided into compartments by means of shelves or partitions which are readily removable and which enable the contents of the container in the Various compartments to be kept separate and prevented from intermingling.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal fitting for containers which is suitable for use where the container is to be used for the transport, storage or display of chemicals such as crystalline minerals, and where it is desired to prevent contact between various layers of chemicals, or the settling down or gravitation of heavier materials to the bottom of the container.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fitting readily adaptable to various sizes of containers and by means of which the volumes of the compartments formed can quickly be changed and fragile articles can be safely packed.

With these objects in mind my invention comprises an internal fitting for hollow containers comprising a plurality of shelves or partitions arranged transversely of the container, a plurality of supporting or retaining members of strip formation, each having one end secured to or formed integrally with a shelf or partition and retaining means adapted to engage with the walls of the container and to co-operate with the other ends of said members in such a way as to hold the shelves or partitions in spaced relationship and to permit free insertion or removal in a direction substantially at right angles to the plane in which they are disposed when mounted in the container.

My invention also provides an internal fitting for hollow containers comprising a plurality of shelves, each provided adjacent its periphery with a plurality of locating strips each adapted to extend upwardly of the shelf to which it attached, and an annular member adapted to grip the inner walls of the container and engage with one or more of the strips so as to retain them in position in the container.

The invention will be more'completely understood from the following detailed description internal fitting.

Referring to the drawing, the reference I indicates a container of circular cylindrical form fitted with partitional means comprising a series of spaced shelves which are here in the form of circular discs 2-5.

Each of the discs is provided with a pair of rigid arms 6, l, 8 and 5, respectively, of strip material and arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the discs. The arms 6-9 are shown formed integrally with the corresponding discs but can, if desired, be formed separately of these discs and attached thereto.

The pairs of arms 6--9 are of difierent lengths as shown and lie practically parallel to the container wall, and when the fitting is in use the lowermost disc 2 is placed in position so as to rest on materials packed in the lower part of the container in the desired degree of compact ness, further materials are placed on top of disc 2, disc 3 is allowed to rest on these further materials, and so on.

This arrangement provides a satisfactory sup port for the discs when the container is upright, but does not prevent the arms 69 moving relatively to one another or to the container I when the latter is considerably tilted or is inverted, for example when removing the contents thereof.

Accordingly retaining means is provided in the form of a spring part ring 24, of spring metal, Celluloid, whalebone or the like, which in its compressed condition maintains pressure on the internal wall of the container.

The flexible part ring 24 is eventually arranged in position at-the top of the container.

The part ring 24 is provided with canopy means inclined to the walls of the contained so as to extend over the tops of the arms 6-9 and retain them, and thus the shelves, in the container when the latter is tilted or upturned. The canopy means consists of flanges 25 projecting inwardly of ring 24 and inclined downwardly.

The part ring 24 is provided with finger grips by means of which it can be compressed by the fingers for insertion in the container. Upon release it springs outwardly to engage the walls of the latter and through this open section the material supported by the uppermost shelf 5 may The discs 3-5 are provided with peripheral.

apertures adjacent the point of attachment of the corresponding arms thereto, which apertures serve to accommodate the arms of the lower disc or discs. By increasing the depths and widths of the apertures in the shelves from 3 to 5 in ac-' cordance with the increase in width and number of arms 6 to 9, the lower four compartments are 7 rendered practically air-tight and leak-proof.

Notches could be provided on the inner faces of the upper ends of the arms to facilitate removal of the discs 2-5 by engagement therewith by the finger or by a pointed 0r hooked tool.

The fitting according to any of the constructions illustrated can be utilised directly, or can be readily adapted for utilisation as the case may be, with containers of any shape in horizontal or transverse section. The shapes of the shelves will, preferably, also be adapted to the form of the container and the shelves will preferably fit as closely as possible to the inner wall or walls of the container.

An internal fitting constructed according to the present invention has a wide field of utility. Such a fitting can be used in practically any container where it is desired to store or pack articles, substances, materials, and so on in compartments. For example, the fitting could be used in bottles for containing minerals of crystalline structure which are unhomogeneous or vary in density or hardness. Where such crystalline bodies are massed together they tend to deteriorate, either by breaking up by impact with one ,another or by conglomeration into particles of larger size, or by deliquescence. By employing a fitting according to the invention and dividing the container into a plurality of compartments, the load on the material in the lower compartment or compartments is relieved of the weight of the material in the upper compartment or compartments. I

Where the materials to be stored, packed or exhibited easily deliquesce, the shelves or partitions can be'made of absorbent material or be coated or covered with an absorbent layer of moisture-absorbent material.

The fitting or the various elements thereof can be of any suitable material. For example the shelves or partitions could be of glass, light or heavy metal, iron, steel, wood, artificial resin,

stout cardboard or millboard, depending on the use and strain to which the fitting is liable to be subjected and on the materials with which it is to come into contact.

I claim:

1. An internal fitting for cylindrical containers comprising, a disc arranged transversely of the container, a pair of integral strips extending from diametrically opposite parts of said discs along an inner wall of the cylindrical container, a second disc arranged transversely of the container and spaced from the first disc, said second disc having diametrically arranged apertures therein for receiving said strips, a pair of integral strips extending from said second disc adjacent said apertures along the strips of the first disc and terminating adjacent ends of the first strips, an annular spring gripping the inner wall of the cylindrical container, and angular flanges carried by said annular spring engaging said strips and forcing the strips of the second disc into engagement with the strips of the first disc and the strips of the first disc into engagement with the inner wall of the cylindrical container.

2. An internal fitting for cylindrical containers comprising a disc arranged transversely of the container, a pair of integral strips extending from diametrically opposite parts of said discs along an inner wall of the cylindrical container, a second disc arranged transversely of the container and spaced from the first disc, said second disc having diametrically arranged apertures therein for receiving said strips, a pair of integral strips extending from said second disc adjacent said apertures along the strips of the first disc and terminating adjacent the ends of the first strips, a split spring ring grippingthe inner wall of the cylindrical container, and angular flanges carried by said ring and overlapping the ends of said strips to prevent movement thereof in the direction of the ring.

3. An internal fitting for hollow cylindrical ,containers comprising a disc arranged transversely of the container, a plurality of arms carried by said disc, said arms extending substan- ,tially at right angles from said disc along an inner wall of the container, a second disc arranged transversely of the container and spaced from the first disc, a plurality of arms carried by the second disc extending substantially at right angles therefrom along the arms of the first disc, a split spring ring yieldably engaging the inner wall of the container and disposed in contact with the outer ends of the arms to form a stop preventing movement of the arms in the direction of the ring, and means carried by said ring and extending inwardly therefrom so as to overlie the ends of said arms.

WILLIAM WALSH. 

